greenhow



Patehted Apr; 11, I899.

T. P. GBEENHUW. NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

(Applicatidn filed m 10, 18 97.)

(No Modei.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS P. GREENHOVV, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOIt TO GEORGE- W. NACHMAN, SAMUEL OBERNDORF, MOSES PELS, AND JULIUS PELS, OF

SAME PLACE.

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,010, dated April 11, 1899.

Application filed May 10, 1897. Serial No. 635,939. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. GREENHOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Non-Refillable Bottles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bottles and similar vessels, but more particularly to bottles, and it isintended to provide an attachment by means of which it will be impracticable to refill the bottle after the same has once been emptied of its contents. The purpose of the invention is therefore to prevent the refilling of the vessel with spurious liquid after it has once been filled with the genuine liquid and the latter emptied therefrom.

My invention consists in the novel details of, construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, in which the same'parts are indicated by the same letters throughout both views.

Figure 1 represents a central vertical section through the neck of the bottle, showing one of the separable halves of my improved non-refillable device and the parts contiguous. thereto in section through the bottle-neck, being along the line 1 l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

A represents the bottle, made of glass or other suitable material, which is provided with a conical openingnear its mouth provided with two slightly-raised ribs a a, which are somewhat exaggerated in the drawings to better illustrate the invention.

B represents a cork band which is either slipped over the two halves of the stopper, as will be hereinafter described, or-is placed between the ribs 66 and a in the conical seat in the neck of the bottle prior to the insertion of.

c to engage the ribs or and. a and with flat adjacent faces forming, when placed together, as shown in Fig. 2, an enlarged valve-chamber C a small chamber 0 for .the stem of the valve, zigzag passages for the passage of the fluid from the bottle, and tenons at the end of each length of said zigzag passages to catch the end of a wire should it be attempted to insert a Wire through either one of the passages for the purpose of tampering with the valve. These two parts are locked together when in the bottle by means of the ball E, which fits in a suitable recess formed partly in each of the blocks 0, and thus prevents either member of the said stopper from mov-- ing longitudinally after the stopper has been forced down on its seat.

D represents the valve, which is preferably provided with an ogival or conical head, if preferred, D, with tapered stem (1 to pass into the guide-chamber c and with a washer d, which will hold the valve clear of the lower ends of said passages 0 when liquid is poured from the bottle.

Above the stopper 0 is an ordinary cork or other suitable seal F, which is removed when it is desired to empty the bottle.

. The operation of the device is as follows: The bottle is filled before the non-refillable attachment is inserted. Then the cork strip or band Bis put in place. The two parts 0 of the non-refillable attachment are placed togetherover the valve D and over the ball E, and these parts are then forced down into the bottle, as shown in Fig. 1. The cork or other seal F is then placed in position, and such additional seals as may be desired are placed over this. To pour out liquid from the bottle, pull off the cork 0r seal F and tilt the bottle, and-the valve-stem d, passing up into the guide-chamber 0, will allow the valve D to permit the passage thereby of fluid,which will flow out through the passages c. fluid will flow out through one of these passages 0, while air will flow into the bottle The.

through the other, and it will be evident that the bottle may be emptied, as described.

- It will also be evident that if an attempt be made to refill the bottle by pouring in liquid from the top of the neck the valve D will settle on its seat in the position shown IOO in Fig. 1 and will prevent the passage of any liquid from the top into the bottle. In order to refill the bottle, it will be necessary to remove the stopper 0, which can only be done by breaking the neck of the bottle.

It will thus be seen that I provide an attachment which will render it possible to conveniently pour out the liquid in small or large quantities from within the bottle, and yet which will prevent the refilling of the bottle after it has been once partly or wholly emptied. If the ribs a a be made very low, the tWo parts of the stopper 0 may be forced or sprung over the same and held in place thereby without the necessity for the cork-strip B.

It Will also be obvious that various changes may be made in the herein-described device which could be used without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is.

1. In a nonrefillable bottle, the combination with a neck provided with a substantially conical seat; and annular ribs projecting inwardly from said seat; of a stopper of hard material divided axially into two similar separate portions; said stopper having near its base a conoidal valve-chamber, an axial opening in the base thereof communicating with said valve-chamber, zigzag passages provided with traps leading from the top of the stopper to said valve-chamber, a central axial recess above said valve-chamber to serve as a guide-socket for a valvestem; a conoidal valve fitting loosely in said valve-chamber; a rigid tapering stem on said valve engaging the said central recess in said stopper; a washer or boss surrounding the base of said stem to contact with the base of said valve-chamber and prevent the closing of said zigzag passages by the valve; said stopper also having peripheral grooves arranged to engage the annular ribs on the conical seat therefor in the bottle-neck; and an annular band of compressible material, such as cork, surrounding the said stopper between said peripheral grooves, substantially as described.

2. In a non-refillable bottle, the combination with a neck provided with a substantially conical seat; and annular ribs projecting inwardly from said seat; of a stopper of hard material divided axially into two similar separate portions; said stopper having near its base a conoidal valve-chamber, an axial opening in the base thereof communicating with said valve-chamber, zigzag passages provided with traps leading from the top'of the stopper to said valve-chamber, a central axial recess above said valve-chamber to serve as a guidesocket for a valve-stem; a conoidal valve fitting loosely in said valve-chamber; a rigid tapering stem on said valve engaging the said central recess in said stopper; a washer or boss surrounding the base of said stem to contact with the base of said valve-chamber and prevent the closing of said zigzag passages by the valve; said stopper also having peripheral grooves arranged to engage the annular ribs on the conical seat therefor in the bottleneck; a ball fitting in a recess formed equally in the adjacent faces of the two portions of said stopper for holding said portions against longitudinal movement with respect to each other, and an annular band of compressible material such as cork surrounding the said stopper between said peripheral grooves, substantially as described.

3. In a non-refillablebottle,the combination with a neck provided with a substantially conical opening therethrough, and one or more ribs projecting inwardly from said neck; of a stopper of hard material divided axially into two similar separate portions and provided internally with a conoidal valve-chamber and tortuous passages provided with traps, included between said portions in the upper part of said stopper and an axial opening in the'base of said stopper communicating with said valve-chamber; a conoidal valve mounted loosely in said valve-chamber; a guide for said valve; a washer or boss on said valve to prevent the closing of said passages in the stopper and a locking device interposed between, and holding the two portions of said valve against longitudinal movement relative to each other, substantially as described.

4. In a non-refillable bottle,the combination with a neck provided with a substantially conical opening therethrough, and annular ribs projecting inwardly from said neck; of a conical stopper of hard material divided axially in two similar separate portions and provided internally with a conoidal valve-chamber, and tortuous passages provided with traps, in-

cluded between said portions in the upper.

part of said stopper, and an axial openingin the base of said stopper communicating with said valve-chamber a conoidal valve mounted loosely in said valve-chamber; a guide for said valve, a washer or boss on said valve to prevent the closing of said passages in the stopper; said stopper having peripheral grooves arranged to engage the annular ribs inthe bottle-neck; and a band of cork surrounding said stopper between said grooves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS P. GREENHOYV.

Witnesses:

ALBERT P. STRoBEL, J. H. MCCONATHY. 

